


Dog Fight

by NancyHartigan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, M/M, Misunderstandings, One Shot, Past Relationship(s), hate snogging
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2020-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22263823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NancyHartigan/pseuds/NancyHartigan
Summary: With as much as Professor Lupin hated being out at night, one had to wonder what was so important that Lupin was moving around the castle to confiscate the Marauder's Map in the first place.Well, it was a good thing that Peter had long ago made sure that none of the Marauders' footsteps would appear for anybody NOT one another, otherwise Lupin would have had a lot of explaining to do that night.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 5
Kudos: 46





	Dog Fight

It wasn’t here. _It wasn’t here_.

Remus Lupin ran a hand through his light brown hair, gently tugging at the roots as he wracked his mind to figure out where in the world they had left the Marauder’s Map when they had left Hogwarts. After checking the library, Filch’s office, the Great Hall, the library for a second time, Mrs. Norris’ usual hiding places for things she chose to tuck away, and a few of the hidden passages that he still remembered behind the tapestries, the only thing that he could come up with at this point was either he was misremembering that they chose to leave it in the school, somebody must have gotten a hold of it by now, or it was left in Gryffindor Tower.

Closed off, naturally, after that traitor decided that he was going to scare the Fat Lady so obscenely with his latest bitch fit, but how did he even get into the castle to begin with? _Remus_ barely got in thanks to all the Dementor business, and he had come in with students!

Sirius Black had always been careless to quite an astronomical degree, but to think that he’d be so desperate to get to Harry that he’d make sure that every first year in the castle were deprived of the excitement of their first year made his blood run cold. The first year was supposed to be the easiest one, as well it should be.

Remus ducked behind a tapestry back to his old favorite study area. His feet knew exactly where he was going even after fifteen years away from the place, as if he was tracing an old memory as he found his way behind the bookcase and into his usual cranny. Filch kept it clean, at least, at least he could say that much.

And just like an old memory, a black dog had been curled up among the cushions of the reading chair, but instead of the grin that used to cross his face, all that he could feel was the unbridled rage that boiled over in his chest.

Without a second thought, his hand went straight into his coat to fish out his wand, but within that time, Sirius Black had already jumped out of his seat, transfigured himself back into his normal state, and had Remus pinned against the back of the bookshelf. Remus went to shout at him, but two fingers slipped into his mouth to hold his tongue in place. Mentally, Remus went through the lunar cycle and realized that the moon was at a waxing gibbous, a few days away from the full moon.

Too close a time to slam his teeth down without risking Sirius having a whole new weapon to work with, so he settled with a stare that Remus hoped would burn a hole into that half-empty skull of his former friend’s and tried to slip his tongue out of its captivity without Sirius’ untrimmed nails scratching too hard. Frankly, being backed into a corner and held in position this way reminded Remus far too much of a different man, one with far-too-long eyeteeth and a far more wicked gleam behind his eyes.

But monsters knew monsters, and many of them didn’t have that same darkness behind them. Just because Sirius made a fool out of all them in the past didn’t mean that Remus would allow himself to be fooled again. A nonverbal Flippendo was enough to get him loose again, but Sirius was never one to be stunned for long, so his hands quickly went in search of the hidden switch.

“Sharp as ever, aren’t you, Moony?”

“Not quite,” Remus countered. “Thirteen years ago, I’d have never let you get the jump on me like that. Don’t be surprised when you discover you lost your chance to finish the job.”

Sirius pulled his sleeve up to his elbow, holding it up so Remus could get a look at it. “ _What_ job?”

Remus’ eyes flicked down to his bare forearm and back to his face. “It’s been ages, it likely faded out with the rest of the Death Eaters’.”

Sirius took the opportunity to rise to his feet, slowly approaching Remus with every sentence, and Remus very quickly remembered that he already had his back to a wall. “I need the Marauder’s Map.”

“Not as much as I do.”

“I need to talk to Harry.”

“There’s nothing he needs to hear from you.”

“I don’t know, I think the truth is very much a thing that he needs to hear!”

“He already knows the truth.”

“Given that you don’t seem to, I’m not sure he does!”

“I’m not arguing with you, Sirius! Your just being here is already dangerous and it’s my job to protect my students!”

“And who exactly is protecting your students from you then, Moony?”

Remus faltered for a second, letting the question echo off the walls before he tilted his head, brows knit as stared the convict that had just successfully cornered him again down without a trace of fear on his face. “Dumbledore. McGonagall. Severus. Myself. The list goes on and you certainly aren’t on it yourself are you?”

“You know I’d do anything for Harry,” Sirius pointed out, grabbing Remus by the wrist to push the sleeve of his coat and shirt up. Remus didn’t know what the man was expecting, honestly, but the only mars that he was going to find were the scars that had long since healed.

“Something to say, Sirius?” Remus asked him after a few seconds as the man scrutinized his arm.

“Nothing,” Sirius told him. “Suppose I just had to confirm something for myself.” He pulled the sleeves down and gave them a pat of apology.

“How dare you,” Remus told him. Whether it was the clear distrust that had lingered in Sirius’ mind or for the sake of James and Lily, he didn’t know, but those were the words that he felt summed this whole matter up nicely. “How dare you, Sirius, if it weren’t for the fact this is my favorite room in the whole castle, I’d walk the Dementors right here.”

“I see I made the right choice in hiding in here, then,” Sirius told him. “Where did you hide the map, Remus?”

“To hell if I know,” Remus told him.

It took him a while to realize that Sirius was practically right up against him, that James’ killer’s face was mere centimeters away from his own, and Remus hadn’t yet struggled or pushed him away yet. Part of him had missed this closeness greatly, was not resisting the memory of the last time that Sirius had pressed him up against anything.

The other part of him was aware that this was just the chronic loneliness he’s been carrying around for twelve years. Anyone could take Sirius’ place and he would feel the same way.

“Why were you hiding in here, Sirius?” Remus asked, voice a lot softer than before.

“It’s out of the way,” Sirius admitted. “Besides, I figured if you were teaching here, you’d have gotten the map back by now, and you’d make your way here eventually.”

“That’s the creepiest thing that I’ve heard in a minute,” Remus told him, “and I saw Severus in Frank’s mum’s clothes not that long ago. Let go of me or I’ll scream. There are plenty of staff that’s been around long enough to know that if you are willing to betray James and kill Peter, who the fuck knows what you’d be willing to do to me once you’ve caught me.”

“I think that same staff would be willing to believe that you’re the _last_ person I’d hurt,” Sirius pointed out. “Otherwise Dumbledore wouldn’t be letting you walk about alone at night knowing that I’m here.”

“You can go ahead and toss those notions aside,” Remus told him. “I don’t believe you and I certainly am not interested.”

“Would you believe me if I told you that Peter’s somewhere in this castle? Because I’ve smelled him quite a few times. I didn’t kill him.”

“If you didn’t kill him, he’d have made his way back by now. Nobody can hide for that long this day and age; this isn’t the 70s anymore.”

“Well if you give me the map, I’m sure that I can point him out to you,” Sirius told him. “But you’re not even willing to do that much for me.”

Remus gently grabbed his arms and plucked his hands off his body. “Nope. Not at all.”

Sirius didn’t move to give him space. In fact, it was quite the opposite. One half step in and Remus was truly against the back panels of the bookcase and finding his lips captured in a very familiar dance, heated and just as skillful as Sirius had always been.

He tried his best to not kiss back, but his heart ached for it far too much, and Remus was not that proud to say that he gave in, only to take the edge off a little bit. Just as quickly as it began, Sirius was off his lips, and Remus was still gasping for air when he felt teeth against his neck.

“Trying for an assault charge as well then?” Remus breathed. “Because I told you I’m not interested.”

“You certainly aren’t acting uninterested,” Sirius told him, but stepped back anyway. “Sorry. Been in Azkaban for a little too long, I guess.”

“Clearly,” Remus told him. “I’m leaving, I’d advise you to leave as well. Don’t come back.”

Grey eyes stayed on Remus for a while longer. “I’ll be at the shack. When you get your head on straight, you’ll find me there.”

“My head’s on perfectly straight,” Remus retorted, opening the bookcase again, “I’m not the one acting the madman.”

“After what I’ve been through, you’d be mad too.”

Remus didn’t dignify that with a response, merely shut the bookcase behind him and then moved the tapestry out of the way, not bothering to look back once.

So, Sirius was after the map as well. That meant that there was every reason for him to get to it first. The question that remained in his head was where the damned thing ended up getting to, because if it wasn’t there, then it had to be in Gryffindor Tower. Without missing a beat, he started in that direction, taking full advantage of the darkness in the castle to keep himself from being seen until he rounded a corner to quite the unusual sight.

Severus was talking to a student that was out after dark? Not quite a problem, because he sounded angry. The student in question was undeniably Harry? Major problem, especially if Sirius caught sight of him. What did Severus just take from Harry’s hand?

That parchment looked awfully familiar, and Sirius wasn’t that far away.

With a deep breath, Remus emerged from the shadows with a wide smile on his face. “Professor!”


End file.
